HBF and Painted Dog Research shortlisted for national Research Effectiveness award

HBF and Painted Dog Research have been announced as finalists for the 2014 Research Effectiveness Awards, a national awards ceremony hosted by the Research Industry Council of Australia. The shortlisted submission explains the crucial role that research and forecasting played in the development of one of the fastest growing events on WA’s sporting calendar, the HBF Run for a Reason, presented by The West Australian. HBF is the only WA brand to be shortlisted for an award.

In 2009, HBF and Painted Dog undertook research to determine if the HBF Run for a Reason would interest people enough to take part, and to help define critical parameters of the event, from course length to training resources required. A total of 600 people were surveyed by telephone, and the responses were fundamental in determining the event that has seen tens of thousands of West Australians participate over the last five years.

As well as the research playing a significant role in determining how the event would run and how it was to be marketed, HBF and Painted Dog also developed a forecasting model to predict participation in the inaugural event, which has been updated each year subsequently to predict future participation in the event planning stages. The submission shows that the participation estimates for 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 were extremely accurate – within a 4% margin of error.

Tina D’Aurizio, Manager Market Insights, HBF, said: “We’re delighted to be the only West Australian brand to be shortlisted for this prestigious award. It’s highly possible that without the research and resulting forecasts to show the potential of the event, HBF may never have created the HBF Run for a Reason. The insights allowed HBF to tailor the event to participants’ needs, helping it to become one of the fastest growing community sports events in WA and raising $4 million for charity in the process.”

The awards will be presented at the Australian Market & Social Research Society 2014 National Conference this September.